Second Impressions
by 1uvakindmom
Summary: Edge never liked Kain. So why does he make sense this time? Post TAY.


**Disclaimer: The awesomeness that is FF:IV does not belong to me...but to Square Enix. I am only borrowing it for a while….**

**A/N: My first FF:IV fic...this one-shot takes place after FF:IV:TAY. I thought I would delve a little into the Edge/Kain lack of friendship and add some Rydia in there as well. **

"Mind if I join you?"

The interruption caught Edge mid-sip from his goblet of wine. The ninja king sputtered into his drink in a rather undignified manner before setting the cup down with more force than necessary and whipping his gaze over to the intruder.

_Kain..._he thought bitterly.

Edge turned his attention back to his drink, gripping it tightly between his hands and regarding his tired, worn expression in the red depths of the Baronian wine. The black rings under his eyes were a bit too noticeable for his liking, the stubble gracing his now unmasked face in desperate need of a shave. A few days had passed since the group had saved the world from the Creator, and they were now gathered in the dining hall of Castle Baron in celebration of the occasion. But Edge didn't feel like celebrating, and he definitely did not feel like conversing with Kain, "Holy Dragoon" or not. The ninja had already downed a few glasses of wine, and in a mildly drunken haze was feeling less than hospitable at the moment. He grumbled an unintelligible response to the other man, who must have taken it as an invitation to sit.

The table was located in the far corner of the dining hall, as dark and lonely as Edge felt. He _wanted_ to be dark and lonely, not stuck in the presence of the man who he had disliked for so long, but now exuded the same righteous aura as Cecil. It just didn't feel right, and it was making him uneasy. He fidgeted in his seat, as if in an unconscious effort to draw himself farther away from the former traitor, but all he managed to accomplish was to make the chair rock loudly a few times on its legs.

"Nice party, here," Kain spoke up, attempting to make conversation. "It feels good to be around everyone again."

Kain's voice sounded different now than from what Edge remembered. It still held the deep, rumbling tenor, but had lost some of the gruffness, as if something that had once been weighing it down had been removed.

Edge gritted his teeth and snapped his eyes back in Kain's direction, their stormy depths glassy from the alcohol, but not so much that the Dragoon was not able to note the malice in them clearly directed towards him. The ninja set his jaw; Kain could see the muscles working underneath.

"_What do you want!?_" Edge hissed, the words slightly slurred.

Kain shrugged, calmly regarding Edge as if his irritated tone was held at a normal conversational level. The placid expression the Dragoon wore was only adding fuel to fire of Edge's anger.

"You're not one to normally keep to yourself, Your Majesty," Kain remarked, his voice like soothing water. "The Edge I remember was always the life of the party."

"Well maybe I don't particularly _feel _like being the 'life of the party' right now," Edge snapped. "Anyways, aren't I a 'son of shadow' as you once commented? So here I am, in the shadows where I belong."

Kain nodded over to Izayoi of the Eblan Four who was engaged in a conversation at the far end of the room with Rydia, Rosa, and Porom. Rydia was clearly having a wonderful time, grinning widely as Cuore clutched to her sleeve staring wide-eyed at the bustle around her. The summoner looked more carefree than she had in a long time, the late summer sunlight gleaming through the windows and glistening off of her emerald hair like gaps in a canopy of leaves.

Edge subconsciously followed Kain's lead and moved his gaze over to the women, his expression softening when they landed on Rydia, almost appearing pained.

"Izayoi is one of your people. She is a 'daughter of shadow'," Kain commented, "yet she - and the rest of your Eblan Four - seem to be enjoying themselves in the light."

The Dragoon caught a subtle shift in Edge's demeanor, the ninja's eyes swirling with unspoken emotion as they lingered on the summoner for longer than he meant them to. A soft, almost imperceptible sigh passed his lips. He downed the rest of his wine and turned back to Kain.

"They are free to do as they wish," Edge replied, the animosity gone from his voice and replaced by an anguished choke.

Kain blinked once and measured his response. He had to force himself to not avert his gaze. He kept his expression passive, the whole while seeing a reflection of himself as he used to be on Edge's hurt riddled face.

"We aren't so unalike, King Edge," Kain stated simply.

Edge snorted, some of the enmity returning. "I find that hard to believe. What could _I _possibly have in common with _you_?"

"I once walked in the shadows," Kain kept his reply to the point.

"My shadows are _nothing _like your shadows, and you insult me by even mentioning it." Edge's eyes darkened and narrowed. "Don't think I've forgotten your past so quickly, Dragoon."

"I don't expect you to," Kain shook his head. "I never will, either. My past is a part of me. That was something I had to learn, in order to overcome it. It is a _part _of me, but it doesn't _define _me."

"Get to the point," the ninja snarled. "I'm not in the mood to listen to your holy redemption bullshit."

Kain sighed in exacerbation, but turned it into a calming breath to mainstay any slight at the ninja king's attitude.

"My 'holy redemption bullshit' as you so eloquently stated, made me realize that there is a very fine line between light and shadow, King Edge...and the very fine line that lead me there in the first place," Kain said, his voice hard, trying to drive his point through the thick headedness of Edge.

Kain didn't need to elaborate any further on that subject. Edge immediately glanced over to Rosa. Kain silently acknowledged Edge's action with a curt nod of his head.

"I still don't see what your angsty drama has to do with me, besides the fact that I don't want to hear what I already know. Cecil told me everything a long time ago," Edge said absently, his eyes still trained on the women.

Rydia then laughed at something Rosa said, the sound carrying over the expanse of the room like the clear chiming of bells through the air. Her laugh was so beautiful, like a sound from heaven, that Edge couldn't help but...

"You love Rydia, don't you," Kain broke the silence. "I know you did back then...but you still do to this day…" Kain's voice was but a whisper, but the reality of it pierced Edge's heart painfully and sent his stomach into knots.

With every filter gone from the alcohol which invaded his senses, the ninja's emotions were as wild as a chocobo in heat. Incensed at Kain pointing out what he already knew, and at the realization that his emotions were apparently so easy to read, he stood abruptly and pointed an enraged finger at the Dragoon.

"_That is NONE…_" he shouted, his voice trailing off before he finished. As if those three words had sapped all the energy in his body, he flopped heavily back into his seat, shoulders hunched forward. "Yes…" he breathed. "More than anything."

"Then we do have something in common after all," Kain said evenly and without pity.

"Except that I would never let my feelings for Rydia lead me to do what you did," Edge answered in an accusatory tone.

"While that is probably true..." Kain stated matter-of-factly, but never finished the thought. "Listen...I know that you and I have never really gotten along...I just don't want you to end up making the same mistake I did. I never had a chance with Rosa...but…you..."

Edge laughed sharply and without humor. "I never had a chance with Rydia, either. She has always been beyond my reach."

"Can you be so sure?" Kain raised an eyebrow at the king. "After all this time, she has never gotten married, been with anyone?"

Edge visibly flinched at Kain's words.

"She has been busy...rebuilding Mist," Edge said, the excuse sounding lame even to him.

"Cecil has told me things as well," Kain supplied, drawing himself straight up in his seat and squaring his shoulders. "He said that once you wanted to sell him some of Eblan's old treasures so you could use the money to help Rydia rebuild her town."

Edge's eyes widened. Kain took that as a confirmation of his statement.

"And you never told her of this?" Kain pressed further.

Edge shook his head slowly. "No...I just want her to be happy…"

"What do you think would make her happy right now?"

Edge was silent for many lengthy moments, mulling ideas in his head. "I know she misses her parents in the Feymarch. She won't speak of it much, but I can see it in her eyes when she talks. It is there, always on her mind."

"And what will you do to rectify that?" Kain asked, as if the answer were obvious.

"What will _I _do?" Edge echoed. "What are you getting at?"

Kain stood and put a comforting hand on Edge's shoulder. Edge eyed Kain's hand suspiciously, but made no move to get away.

"Maybe it's time for your feelings _and_ actions to come out of the shadows. As at home as you feel there...sometimes the answers we seek are not in the darkness." Kain said cryptically.

With that, Kain removed his hand and walked away to join the others, leaving Edge alone with an empty cup and a heavy heart. The ninja considered the empty cup for a moment before pulling his mask back up and coming to his feet. He raked his fingers through his spiky mop of silvery hair, took a deep breath, and stepped away from the table. Rydia seemed to sense his motion, and her own eyes flickered in his direction. Their gazes locked, and she offered him a warm smile in return. As he took in the subtle loss in her eyes - that she missed her adoptive parents, the piece everyone else seemed to miss, but was so obvious to him, an inkling of an idea began to form in his mind. Tomorrow, when his mind was clear, he would dwell on it more. But for now, never breaking eye contact with the woman so desperately loved, he made his way over to her, realizing a few things along the way. One, maybe Kain wasn't so bad after all (not that he would ever tell that to him to his face), and two, he now felt a little more hopeful than he had in a while.

**A/N: There it is...I hope Edge and Kain didn't seem too OOC at all. Edge is lonely and miserable here...and Kain is all holy now lol. Oh...and I hope you can guess what idea Edge is thinking? I'm not sure I like the ending very much...**


End file.
